FLUORITE MINERAL PHOTOGRAPHS

Fluorite is a mineral composed of calcium fluoride. Fluorite is also called fluorspar.

Fluorite carving of a pig. A beautiful carved mineral of a pig in translucent green fluorite. Photographed by Adrian Pingstone.

Did you know? The world reserves of fluorite are estimated at 230 million tonnes with the largest deposits being in South Africa (about 41 million tonnes), Mexico (32 million tonnes) and China (24 million tonnes).

Fluorite photograph.

Did you know? In 1852 fluorite gave its name to the phenomenon of fluorescence, which shows in fluorites from some locations, due to impurities in the mineral.

Did you know? Fluorite comes in a wide range of colours and has often been dubbed "the most colourful mineral in the world". The most common colours for fluorite are purple, blue, green, yellow, or colorless. Less common coulours for fluorite are pink, red, white, brown, black, and nearly every shade in between. Colour zoning or banding is commonly present in fluorite mineral specimens. The colour of the fluorite is determined by factors including impurities, exposure to radiation, and the size of the colour centers.

Fluorite is a mineral composed of calcium fluoride. Fluorite is also called fluorspar.

Fluorite and quartz on dolomite on display at the San Diego County Fair, California, USA. This specimen of the fluorite mineral originated from the Shangbao Mine, Hunan Province, China.

Did you know? Natural fluorite mineral has ornamental and lapidary uses. Fluorite may be drilled into beads and used in jewelry, although due to its relative softness it is not widely used as a semiprecious stone.

Fluorite is a mineral composed of calcium fluoride. Fluorite is also called fluorspar.

Fluorite and Galena from the Defender Mine, Hardin County, Illinois, USA. This fluorite mineral photograph taken by Chris Ralph.

Did you know? Cubic crystals of fluorite up to 20 centimetres across have been found at Dalnegorsk, Russia. The largest documented single crystal of fluorite was a cube 2.12 metre in size and weighed 16 tonnes.

Fluorite is a mineral composed of calcium fluoride. Fluorite is also called fluorspar.

Fluorite carving of a frog seen in this wonderful photograph of a collection of carved gem animals.

Fluorite is a mineral composed of calcium fluoride. Fluorite is also called fluorspar.

Labelled tumbled gems in this great photograph - unfortunately Fluorite is not included in this group.

FLUORITE MINERAL PHOTOGRAPHS

Did you know? Fluorite is a widely occurring mineral which is found in large deposits in many areas of the world. Notable fluorite deposits occur in China, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Norway, Mexico, and both the Province of Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. Large deposits of fluorite also occur in Kenya in the Kerio Valley area within the Great Rift Valley. In the United States, fluorite deposits are found in Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois, Kentucky, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Ohio, New Hampshire, New York, Alaska, and Texas. Fluorite has been the state mineral of Illinois since 1965. At that time, Illinois was the largest producer of fluorite in the United States, but the last fluorite mine in Illinois was closed in 1995.